When it comes to buying crab legs, there is some good news and “bad” news. The bad news is there are so many options that buying them can feel overwhelming. The good news? There are many online resources to increase your knowledge. These resources break down what makes crab legs so popular, as well as which ones to purchase and when you should purchase them. We have a guide for finding fresh king crab legs for sale, but we’ll walk you through how to make your decision. If you want to buy King crab legs, whether bulk King crab legs for sale or just a few pounds of meat, we can help. Getting Alaskan king crab legs delivered is easier than ever.
Current King Crab Prices
| Company | Price/lb | Minimum Order | Shipping | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Seafoods | $35.00 | 5 lbs | $16.20 | |
| Crab Place | $42.29 | 1 lb | $29.95 | |
| Fulton Fish Market | $51.00 | 2 lbs | Free | |
| Seabear Smokehouse | $63.60 | 2.5 lb | $19.99 | |
| Cameron’s Seafood | $65.99 | 3 lbs | $39.99 |
The Basics of Crab Legs
Crab legs are an exceptionally popular culinary dish. For that reason, the first important thing to know is the different types of crab legs and what distinguishes them from one another.
Alaskan King Crab legs are recognized as the largest crab caught around the world. The crabs are caught in Alaska and can weigh as much as 20 pounds and measure 5 feet across. Store bought legs typically weigh about 6 pounds. These crabs are sold to customers all year and they offer tender and rich meat. Note that king crab legs cost a bit more than other varieties. This is true of red king crab legs, as well as large king crab legs and colossal king crab legs.
Alaskan Snow Crab legs are another type of popular crab legs. As opposed to King Crab legs, Snow Crab legs are sweeter and smaller. They have long legs with thinner shells, and Snow Crab legs average about 2 to 4 pounds. Snow Crab meat is also delicate.
While these two types of Alaskan crab legs are by-and-large the most popular, there is another type of popular crab. Blue Crab is a popular east coast delicacy, gaining devoted customers in Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia.
Blue Crab legs are smaller and while they do provide some meat, the part is largely dismissed. In fact, people often ignore them completely or they will sometimes break them in half and then squeeze the legs and try to suck out whatever meat is in the particular leg. For Blue Crabs, the much more attractive and fulfilling parts are the two larger claws.
When Are the Best King Crab Legs in Season and How Much Should You Buy?
Crab legs are in season depending on your location. The primary season for crabs is from October to January. The aforementioned time frame is generally when the crabs are their largest and their populations are at their peak.
However, the crabbing season extends to July in some regions. For states like Alaska and Maine that are known for producing crab, the season can last until early spring when the temperature begins to rise. Alternatively, crabbing season is all year long in states such as Florida and South Carolina.
For crab lovers, year-round uncooked king crab legs for sale is great news. There are a number of health benefits associated with crab legs. Premium king crab legs and claws, when cooked and served plain with a serving size of 134 grams, provide about 26 grams of protein. Although that particular type of crab is known for its cholesterol, it is not dangerous since there are no saturated or trans fats in crab legs, which can be more harmful for blood cholesterol levels.
As you make your king crab legs purchase, it is important to know how much meat you can expect so that you do not overbuy and waste the crab. In some cases, 1 lb king crab legs won’t cut it. Crab legs generally yield about 50% meat. If you and your partner purchase 16-24 ounces for a two-person meal, there will be approximately 8-12 ounces of crab meat. In other words, each person will end up with 4-6 ounces. When you order king crab legs, we recommend buying 16-24 ounces, with the idea that you will prepare a couple of side dishes if necessary.
Best Recipes for Crab Legs
Since online vendors offer overnight shipping, and crab legs are caught, cooked and flash frozen, all that you need to worry about is reheating them. Perhaps you want to get a little creative with your recipe, though. If you are looking to stray from the usual cookbook recipe, Drunken Best Alaskan King Crab Legs is the way to go.
When purchasing Alaskan king crab legs for sale, the recipe calls for 3 pounds of split crab legs. The recipe serves three to four people and other ingredients are 3 bottles beer (gluten-free or regular), 3 lemons (cut in half), 1 large head of garlic (cut in half), 2 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning, and 1 stick of butter (melted).
Once you have all of your ingredients, use a stock pot and add the beer, lemons, garlic, and seasoning. Bring to a boil and then add the crab legs. After you place a lid on top of the pot, allow the crab legs to cook for four minutes. Finally, remove the meat from the shells and you can serve it with butter.
There are many easy ways to prepare crab legs for yourself or your dinner guests. As long as you make sure to time the order just right, everyone is sure to be satisfied.
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